ELEGANT American organist Ann Elise Smoot introduced a good mix of compositions.

Of her expertise and understanding of the instrument, there was no doubt and the audience's appreciation of this was augmented by the large video-screen view of the manuals and foot pedals.

The earliest music was three pieces from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book by 16th Cen-tury Giles Farnaby, charming, gentle and 'olde worldly', with no pedalling involved.

Frank Bridge's Allegro Grazioso from Six Organ Pieces was played in a romantic, elegiac manner and Franz Schmitt's chorale prelude O wie selig was plaintive, with subtle harmonies and an introspective melodic line.

Ann Elise excelled in a delivery of Allegro, Chorale and Fugue by Mendelssohn as chords roared out and rapid pedalling joined in unison with deft fingers.

Sonata in G major, Op.28 for Organ, by Elgar, fared best in the two outer movements. Opening boldly, with sonorous chords, Ann Elise used the organ's 'voices' effectively to vary the short phrases, moving smoothly between the manuals. The second movement lacked an essential sensitivity of melodic nuance and in the third, again, more expressive phrasing was required to characterise it; the Elgarian sound was evasive.

However, the finale 'swelled' with magnificence to a flourishing end.

JILL HOPKINS